Welcome to my first issue of Dream Italian Weddings & Honeymoons as editor. When Peter Shaw, our publisher, first approached me about my taking over from Melissa, I admit I was rather torn. I was delighted to be offered the job, but disappointed it meant I would no longer be working with Melissa.

WELCOME to
– Dream Italian Weddings! –

Welcome to my first issue of Dream Italian Weddings & Honeymoons as editor. When Peter Shaw, our publisher, first approached me about my taking over from Melissa, I admit I was rather torn. I was delighted to be offered the job, but disappointed it meant I would no longer be working with Melissa. Over the five years that we worked together, I found Melissa to be fair, open-minded and fun, and in a perfect world, we’d have continued to work together for years. So I’d like to thank her for being such a great editor and wish her every success in her new role at Brand Events as Director of the La Dolce Vita Show.

During the handover, Melissa told me that the part of the job she loved most was talking to so many happy people, but even then, I had no idea how infectious newlyweds’ enthusiasm could actually be. Over the past few months, however, I’ve had the pleasure of chatting to brides and grooms from all over the world who decided to tie the knot in Italy, and have to say that their joy is indeed contagious! I was also delighted to discover that many are great story tellers and the tongue in cheek comments that often accompany the stories of their big day often had me laughing out loud.

This issue is packed with fabulous couples who have chosen Italy as their wedding destination. We start with Philippa Smart and her husband David whose wedding on the beautiful shores of Lake Como was made unforgettable by the warmth and enthusiasm of the people of Como, convincing Philippa that choosing Italy was the best decision she could have made. Then Clair and Paul Dunlop share the story of their big day, organised by expert planners Dream Academy, who carried out all their strange requests without even blinking an eye, in a unique celebration that will no doubt be the talk of Villa Giona for quite some time.

Another great feature this month is ‘One man and his wedding’, where groom Angelo Sangiorgio gives us a man’s eye view of the build-up to his big day. His account is both affectionate and amusing and we all really enjoyed hearing the other side of the story! Julia Petropoulos, on the other hand, tells of her intimate wedding in Portofino with husband Angus and a handful of guests. Their wedding, organised to perfection by Love&Lord, was a simple but decadent affair, and included a sail along the Riviera to Genova on the 1950s yacht The Viola: a truly stylish end to the perfect weekend. Lastly, we follow Tanya Smith on her trip to Italy to start planning her wedding and tick things off her seemingly never-ending to-do list!

Other features include Bonnie Bates’ fascinating explanation of the history behind laws governing modern civil marriage ceremonies in Italy, then Raffaella Aflatt from Weddinginrome explains why the Eternal City is still a favourite wedding destination and Lorna Egan from Design Go gives useful advice for packing in general, and packing ‘the dress’ in particular.

Also, congratulations to the winners of Love&Lord’s wedding guide competition in the Summer Issue of Dream Italian Weddings & Honeymoons: Kate Armstrong, Jacqui Bradwell, Sara Muir, Sue Blackford and Alex Kettle all received the guide of their choice, and we hope these great books provide welcome inspiration for planning their big day. Meanwhile, please keep your letters and emails coming, as nothing could make us happier than reading the warm, quirky, romantic, surprising weddding stories you send us.

• Dress design - the magic of Marina
• Irresistible Italy
• Marion Hunter and Paolo Saletti: beyond our dreams
• One man and his wedding
• Destination - Italian honeymoons in style
• A Very Civil Ceremony
• A Passion for Portofino
• A City of Surprises
• Culture - Renaissance Weddings
• Ask the Experts
• A sense of place
• Wedding Cowntdown
• A Sense of Place